The Pontificate of Benedict XVI: Its Premises and Promises

Four years into the papacy of Benedict XVI (formerly Joseph Ratzinger), it is said that the crowds thronging St. Peter’s Square for his weekly blessing and the Hall of Audiences to hear him speak are larger than those for John Paul II. This is no small indication of the magnitude of Benedict’s impact.

The noted ecumenist William Rusch, a theologian and expert in matters patristic, realizes that facile characterizations of Benedict as a theological conservative, as “Panzerkardinal” and as a rigid enforcer of dogma miss his subtlety and importance. The contributors to The Pontificate of Benedict XVI both explicate and critique Benedict’s theology, lifework and papacy.